Yu Shu, a fifth-level female official, was the deputy chief of the Kunling Agency. Not to mention her authority, she could choose two guards with ranks from the Jinwu Guards to follow her. She could also appoint and dismiss an eighth-level assistant.
This eighth-level assistant only listened to her orders and worked for her. But his salary was from the public. Although he was just a small official, it was a rare opportunity to become a Celestial Commissioner.
Wen Shaoan came here today for this position.
Last time he went to the Wangji Tower to ask Yu Shu to be his disciple, but he failed. Not only did he not give up, but he also paid more attention to her news. Hearing that she was promoted to a female official, he paid a visit again after careful consideration and recommended himself.
Hearing Wen Shaoan's intention, Yu Shu laughed and said,
"You are good at planning, but why should I give this opportunity to you? As long as I spread the news, many people will come to beg me. There are many people who are better than you."
That day when she went to the Celestial Commissioner to go through the admission procedures, she heard these things from the reception officer. But she didn't have time to choose suitable people for the time being.
Two days ago, she met Situ Qinglan in the Taishi Library. Situ Qinglan also vaguely expressed that she was willing to work for her. Academician Sima also recommended two people to her.
Wen Shaoan was good. He was young and mature, steady and smart. But he only wanted to climb up. She admired strong-willed people, but she didn't want to keep such a person by her side.
Now he knelt to beg her to be his teacher for a way out, but he might betray her for other purposes in the future.
"Indeed, there are many people who are better than me." Wen Shaoan's face was tense. He calmly faced Yu Shu and said seriously,
"But you can't find a second person who is more obedient than me."
Hearing this, Yu Shu's expression changed. She raised her eyebrows and suddenly became a little interested in him.
"What do you mean?"
Wen Shao 'an had rehearsed his script countless times before he came. He took a deep breath and said,
"If you agree to let me serve under you today, I, Wen Shao 'an, am willing to be at your beck and call. As long as you command me, there is nothing I don't dare to do or can't do. If I am the slightest bit negligent, you can punish me however you like."
Yu Shu looked at him thoughtfully. After a while, she said, "You're right.
"Are you saying that you plan to sell your life for me?"
"… Not bad."
"You'd better think this through. Even if you serve me like an ox or a horse, I won't accept you as my disciple and teach you the Death Severance Mystic Art."
Wen Shao 'an laughed at himself. "Don't worry. I know now that the Death Severing Mystic Art is not something I should be dreaming about."
When he first came to the capital, he was filled with hope, thinking that passing the Great Yan Examination would give him a chance to stand out.
He didn't expect that he, an eighth-rank fragrant husband, couldn't even be ranked in the Anling City, which was full of talents. He became Lord Jing's disciple at the Double Suns Meeting, but so far, he had only seen Lord Jing twice. The first time was when he went to ask for a place to study in the Taishi Library and was rejected. The second time was at the banquet in the Xuan Spring Garden. He sat in the corner and looked around, but didn't know anyone.
It took him some time to figure it out. He was just a nobody, and he didn't have enough hands to climb up to those princes and grandsons.
He had been in the capital for a year, but he had accomplished nothing except for the Great Yan. He didn't want to waste time like this and run into walls everywhere like a headless fly.
He desperately wanted to find a direction and do something serious.
Therefore, he had set his sights on Yu Shu because he had seen the word "opportunity" on her more than once.
"If so, I'll think about it. You go back first and wait for my news."
This time, Yu Shu didn't refuse Wen Shao 'an, but gave him an ambiguous answer.
Wen Shao 'an wasn't disappointed and instead let out a sigh of relief. If she didn't refuse, that meant there was still hope.
"Then I will leave first. Thank you for your hospitality."
Wen Shao 'an clasped his hands in farewell and turned to leave.
Yu Shu had a better impression of him. His shamelessness was annoying, but his perseverance was admirable.
It seemed that when he was rejected by her last time, he did not pester her further. It was a good thing that he knew when to advance and when to retreat.
It was not perfunctory that she told Wen Shao 'an to go back and wait for news. In fact, when he said that he would work for her, she had already changed her mind.
She was going to become the Celestial Commissioner and secretly investigate the secret of the [Fairy Maiden Liu Ren Book]. For the sake of her future plans, she needed to have someone she could trust under her.
It wasn't a good thing to have an ambitious subordinate, but if this subordinate was a sensible person and obedient enough, then it would be a different matter.
However, before she replied to him, she first had to confirm that the pitiful background that Wen Shao 'an had told her was true.
How would she confirm it? Should she find someone to inquire about it from the Wen Chen family in the north?
There was no need to bother. She had the little azure stove and the Tihu incense.
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the Emperor issued a decree to hold a land and water conference to entertain the foreign envoys. He called upon all teachers above the seventh grade in the capital to attend the conference.
Yu Shu finished trying on her official robes. There were less than two days left, but before the start of the land and water conference, there was another piece of big news — —
The case of the assassination of imperial envoy Zhou Qing was investigated by the Supreme Court. It was instigated by the Eleventh Prince, Liu Yi.
All those involved were to be beheaded in public. Considering that Liu Yi was young and ignorant and had been instigated by a traitor, he was exempted from responsibility. The Emperor issued an edict to expel him from the Imperial Palace and imprison him in the Rising Cloud Monastery in the suburbs to reflect.
When Xue Rui returned from the Supreme Court, he went to Yu Shu's home to bring the news to her.
"In the end, it was still Liu Yi who took the blame." Yu Shu frowned. "But it was clearly not Liu Yi who did it. Even if Liu Hao hid his tail well, can it be determined that Liu Yi was the mastermind just from a secret letter on the assassin's body?"
Xue Rui shook his head with a slight sneer on his face. "A few days after Lord Guo took over this case, one of the eunuchs in Liu Yi's palace confessed that Liu Yi sneaked out of the palace one night to meet Lv Jinliang."
"Who is Lu Jinliang?"
"He's Liu Yi's cousin, the fourth young master of the Lu family. According to seniority, he has to call Lu Buhuan Second Uncle."
Yu Shu did not forget Xue Rui's analysis in Pei County. The Emperor wanted to send an imperial envoy to the Guangdong and Guangxi provinces to catch Lu Buhuan's weakness. That was why Liu Yi had the motive to kill Zhou Qing, and Liu Hao had used this to his advantage.
"Lu Jinliang was brought to trial. At first, his death was not confirmed. But as a manservant, he confessed that he and Liu Yi had conspired to kill Zhou Qing. This coincided with the secret letter that was previously discovered. Because there were two witnesses, the Supreme Court could carry out the punishment. Under the heavy punishment, Lu Jinliang quickly confessed his guilt."
The Supreme Court's punishment was the most severe of the three departments. According to the law, once the conditions were met, even if the person was a relative of the Emperor, the punishment would still be carried out.
Yu Shu frowned. "The eunuch by Liu Yi's side and Lu Jinliang's manservant are actually Ning Wang's people?"
The answer was undoubtedly yes.
"I also did not expect Ning Wang to have such a card up his sleeve." Xue Rui sighed. He had long expected that it would not be possible to use this case to bring down Liu Hao.
"Then what about the death warrior's waist token from Ning Wang fu?" Yu Shu did not forget about Xue Rui's framing. "The Supreme Court can't possibly think that Liu Yi wanted to frame Ning Wang."
Xue Rui was silent for a moment before he said, "Ning Wang told the Supreme Court that there was a death warrior in his fu who was punished last year for failing to perform his duties. Afterwards, his whereabouts were unknown. Official Guo asked him to identify the corpse. Ning Wang admitted that the assassin I stabbed to death was the death warrior that he had removed from the list. "
Yu Shu hissed. She slapped the chair and cursed in a low voice, "Too shameless."
Liu Hao's plan to kill two birds with one stone had been broken by Xue Rui's sword. And Xue Rui's counterattack had not been able to trap Liu Hao.
A few lies had allowed him to muddle through. Only he could think of such a thing.
"However, when the Emperor heard about the case, he still reprimanded Ning Wang for not being strict with his subordinates. He grounded him in the fu for three months to reflect on his actions and fined him half a year's salary."
"After this incident, Consort Lu's family completely became enemies with Ning Wang. Lu Jinliang clearly confessed under torture and was pushed out as a scapegoat to protect Liu Yi."
Liu Hao and Liu Yi's falling out was in line with Xue Rui's wishes.
In this matter, Liu Hao had shot himself in the foot. Not only did he lose a 'good brother', the two spies that he had painstakingly planted were also exposed.
Faced with this result, the happiest person was not Xue Rui and Yu Shu, but Liu Tan who had been watching the show from the side.
Consort Lu had been implicated and demoted to a Lu Pin. Liu Yi had been kicked to the outskirts of Jing. This time, the Emperor had openly sent an imperial envoy to the Guangdong and Guangxi to investigate Lu Buhuan.
What the Lu Family was about to face was perhaps a decline.
In short, Liu Yi had no chance of inheriting the throne.
At the same time, Liu Hao had lost a helper.
"It can be seen how immoral this Ning Wang is," Yu Shu sneered, "Liu Yi followed him around all day and did not do anything wrong to him. If he could do something like cutting off his own arm, in the future, if this kind of person really becomes the Emperor, none of us will be able to live well."
Xue Rui deeply agreed.
At this point, the case of the imperial envoy's decapitation was considered over.
Xue Rui had also heard that the Palace was going to hold the Water and Land Conference. Knowing that Yu Shu and Jing Chen would be attending, he had some misgivings in his heart.
When he thought that the two of them would soon be together day and night, his sense of crisis ran out.
So he warned her, "I will also be present at the Water and Land Conference.
"I'll be there for the Water and Continent Assembly as well. Remember to behave yourself when the time comes. Don't fight for the limelight with others.
Yu Shu rolled her eyes at him, "Don't worry, I'm just going to join in the fun."
Although she said so, Xue Rui had a feeling that this Water and Land Conference would not be so peaceful.
The two of them were sitting and talking in the living room. The door was closed, but suddenly, it was pushed open from the outside.
"Xue Dalang, Xue —"
Jiang Miya walked in with her voice raised, not even knocking on the door. Seeing that Yu Shu was also there, she froze for a moment, then raised her eyebrows,
"Oh, what are you two whispering about?"
Yu Shu laughed dryly, thinking that it was a good thing that she and Xue Rui had been talking about serious matters just now and he had not made a move on her. Otherwise, if Jiang Miya had seen it, what would she have done?
Xue Rui, on the other hand, had a magnanimous expression. He glanced at Jiang Miya and said,
"We're talking about something that has nothing to do with you. What are you doing here?"
These two days, Jiang Miya had been living in Wang Ji Tower, causing him to get close to Yu Shu. He had to be on guard against her suddenly appearing. He really found her to be an eyesore.
Perhaps the heavens had heard Xue Rui's thoughts. When Jiang Miya was asked by Xue Rui, she answered,
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